“We need to give local people the chance to have a say over what school systems work in their area for their children.”

Practical subjects 'all but disappeared'

Ukip AM for South Wales East David Rowlands said practical subjects had “all but disappeared” from the national curriculum, which had resulted in a “huge deficit” of tradesmen and women.

He said an exam at age 11 should not be seen as a system of “segregating the achievers from the non-achievers”.

Mr Rowlands added: “By separating the truly academic pupils from those with more practical skills we can concentrate on bringing out the potential for every pupil, irrespective of their academic abilities.”

She said: “There was no golden age of grammar school education that we could return to even if we wanted... grammar schools trampled on the life chances of poorer kids in the 1950s – and they trample on them now.

“It’s depressing to stand here today and make counter arguments to a zombie schools policy that should have been long dead and buried by now.

“But if we have to fight for the future of our children to be protected from Ukip’s policies beyond the grave then we will.

“Welsh Labour remains committed to a 21st century schools policy which is grounded in facts and evidence; we seek to learn from the best.

“The best-performing school system in Britain is not found in the selective system of the county of Kent – you’ll find it in Scotland where there is not a single grammar school.

“Consistently the best-performing system in Europe and the world is Finland – 100% comprehensive.

“The policies that will lift our school system are not to be found from time travelling the past, they are with us now.”

Pupils 'denied choice' of school

Welsh Conservative education spokesman Darren Millar said his party would not be supporting Ukip’s motion, recognising that “Wales is different to England”.

Neil Hamilton, Ukip’s Assembly group leader, said his party wanted to “introduce a more flexible structure to the education system like, for example, in Germany where you’ve got four different types of secondary schools”.

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said grammar schools were “divisive” and there was no evidence to support their reintroduction in Wales.

She said experts from the OECD had identified that Wales’ comprehensive school system “was one of our strengths” and “why would be want to change that?”.

Ms Williams added: “Our drive to improve standards is evidence-based. From curriculum reform to improving pedagogical practices – that’s what we are about.

“Our policies are about raising standards of all of our schools so that every child, no matter where they live, has the best possible learning experience.